Wyclef Jean Ruled Out of Haiti Presidential Run

Jean Says in Statement He Respects Electoral Commission’s Decision, Urges Supporters to Do Same; No Signs of Protests

Haiti’s electoral commission said Friday that hip hop artist Wyclef Jean cannot run for president of this Caribbean nation, ending his outsider’s bid to lead a country struggling to recover from the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Jean, who faced a challenge to his candidacy in the Nov. 28 elections because he had has not lived in Haiti for the past five years as required, issued a statement urging his supporters to remain calm and respond “peacefully and responsibly to the disappointment.”